Trofie

Trofie are tightly spiralled, torpedo-shaped short pasta, which can be made in a number of ways to pretty much the same effect. Like orecchiette, they are infinitely superior when made fresh, unlike the majority of semolina pastas. I would go so far as to say that if you can’t get fresh trofie (and you are unlikely to outside of Italy) or make them (and I imagine most readers may be reluctant to), it is better to substitute a simple dried pasta – linguine or spaghetti in their place. The shape of trofie is a combination of ergonomic and functional design – they are easily hand-made, and are efficient sauce-traps.